Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-13
tCssfinssl fsosA yesterday
DARING AND SUFFERING.
A History Of the Andrews Railroad
Raid Into Georgia in 1862.
CHAPTER XIV.

HUNTED IN THE WOODS BT DOGS AND MEN.
Dispersed in the woods with no knowl-
edge Of the country, and no guide toward
our own lines: with the alarm spreading
in every direction, and the hearts Of the
people Oh fire with fierce resentment be-
cause Of the desperate character Of our
raid, the prospect Of escape for any Of our
number was slight indeed. The south
was also better prepared for hunting
down fucitives than any other people
could have been where slavery was not
an established Institution. Tracking men
over hills and mountains was no novelty;
and now for scores of miles In every di-
rection from Chattanooga roads and fer
ries were guarded, cavalry gaiioped along
the roads, and the planters with their
packs Of negro hunting dogs explored
every wood Unfortunately, too, a ready
mode Of identifying any member Of the
band who might be captured was soon
discovered. On the way south we had
represented ourselves as from Fleming
county KY. This story was still con-
tInued. The first arrests were made the
very same day so close TO the train that
after this story had been told the men
were positively traced back to the train,
and then all who gave the same story were
known to belong TO US.
We expected to die as soon as captured;
and there was degree Of evaporation
which rendered the risk of instant shoot
ing or hanging very great But there was
also n desire for further investigation and
discovery which would be cut short by a
honestly lay claim to any greater fear
than | had often felt In ordinary military
service No matter what happened, there
h. hot . bad
resource--the power to turn around and
attack the pursuing foe. From the be
ginning, such conflict had been present
to my mind Us a matter Of course. Be
fore leaving camp this had been reckoned
natural consequence Of our position.
II had been frequently talked of among
the men, and not one Of them seemed to
regard IL with any more dread than an
ordinary battle We had been careful to
select large reviewers for use, and not for
show, aud when we found the enemy
gaining upon us, or our leaders, plans for
their destruction falling, we only felt or
said that our time to strike would soon
come We did not have the boastful feel
ing that we were an overmatch for a large
body Of southern soldiers, for we all
knew how desperately they could and
often did fight; but of the ordinary citi-
zens gathered up as we presumed our
pursuers were, or even OF conscripts, we
had no great fear. That we had not our
accustomed arms was serious disad-
vantage, but this could be remedied by
getting into close quarters; and we trusted
that our leader, who had shown such
wonderful skill in management, would be
able to put us within short range of the
pursuing train, where we felt sure that we
could quickly give good account Of it.
Probably the fact of Andrews having
never been in battle, but always engaged
In schemes where his own cool daring and
sagacous planning counted for every
thing, and mere force for nothing made
him hesitate to order an attack which
would throw aside all these qualities and
determine the issue by simple fighting.
A time was near when we would firmly
have disputed our leaders command If
there had been an officer of any authority
among IFS who could have been substi-
tuted for him; but not until Andrews
himself had definitely abandoned his au-
thority.
Many times the question has been
asked: why did you not reverse your en-
CINE, and, jumping off, let it drive back at
the enemyp' What good could that have
donep If their engine and our own had
been destroyed, as was very probable, to-
gether with considerable number of
lives, we would only have been where we
were before we captured the engine at
all, except that the whole country would
have been aroused. and our disguise
thrown Off The second train would have
been on the ground in few minutes and
the power of pursuit would have been I'M
diminished. We had no wish to sacrifice
our own engine until the last effort pos
sible had been made To merely destroy
had no charm for us, when that destruc-
ton could neither promote our escape nor
serve n military purpose.